Larranaga doesn't sleep after 'Canes crushed Duke

Everything went right. Literally, almost everything was perfect. The 90-63 win over No. 1 Duke on Wednesday was more than a program-defining moment for the Hurricanes.

It was historic.

The 27-point losing margin was the largest for a No. 1 team since 1968 and the third-largest in history. No. 25 Miami (14-3, 5-0 ACC) led by as many as 34 points in winning its sixth straight game.

"It's something that's never been done before," senior guard Durand Scott said. "This is the moment for us to enjoy this, not just as a team, but as a university and a program."

The party continued on into Thursday as the program rode the momentum. Before noon, the school announced all tickets for the 6 p.m. Sunday visit from rival Florida State were sold. It's believed to be the first back-to-back sellouts in program history.

Coach Jim Larranaga never went to bed after the court-storming night.

He went out for a victory dinner with players, then went back to watch game film. By 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Larranaga had the first of his roughly 15 broadcast interviews scheduled.

It's been a whirlwind that was special right from the beginning.

Larranaga thanked the supporters and students who turned out like never before. The BankUnited Center capacity crowd of 7,972 spilled onto the court as the final seconds ticked down. It was the second time that happened this year. The Nov. 28 victory over then-No. 13 Michigan State was the other.

"I'd like to see students rush the floor after every win," Larranaga said. "Part of being in college is being in an exciting environment. Do you remember when you were in college how much stress you felt about earning good grades and trying to pass a class? So to be able to come out here and enjoy an athletic event and rush the court with their friends, those are memories. Those are things you remember for a lifetime."

The good will continued after leaving the arena.

Larranaga was greeted by a standing ovation when he walked into a local restaurant afterward. His iPhone blew up with more than 100 text messages and 100 emails.

The margin of victory made it one of the top national headlines Thursday morning. It gained speed when national radio talk show host Dan Patrick told his audience he heard Duke players practiced from 1:30 a.m. Thursday until 4:45 a.m. CBSSports.com later quoted Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski saying the report was completely inaccurate.

Back in Coral Gables, the campus was still wrapping its collective head around the magnitude of the victory. Nobody in the Hurricanes' locker room was too startled by the scoreboard.

"We weren't surprised," senior center Reggie Johnson said. "People were saying upset, upset. I don't believe in an upset. I feel we have to play and they have to play. Once we play, may the best team win."

They did it in a big way, too.

UM's 56.9 shooting percentage was nearly 17 percentage points better than its season average. For the first time in two seasons, the Hurricanes had two scorers over 20 points in Scott (25) and Kenny Kadji (22).

But the celebration wouldn't last forever. Larranaga's first message after entering the winning locker room concerned Florida State.